Chapter 8

Clark, Chloe, Lana and Martha sat waiting in the hospital waiting room. Clark sometimes thought he had spent more time here during the last four years than at school.

The doctors had asked them what had caused the cut, but they lied that they didn't really see the animal, that it all happened so fast. Lois had arrived at the hospital in shock after losing so much blood, and had needed a transfusion. The claw had sliced her brachial artery and her humerus, the doctors had said, but there hadn't been any major nerve damage. She had undergone surgery and was in the recovery room. They were waiting for her to be transferred to her own room so they could see her.

Chloe had tried to talk to Lois' father, but he was out of the country.

A doctor finally came to tell them that they could see Lois, but that she was still under the effect of the anesthetic, and that they should enter one at a time.

Clark told Chloe to go first and they stood waiting until she got back.

Clark entered her room next, and sat in the chair by her side, just like he had done this morning when he went to see his father.

Lois looked a little pale, and her arm was immobilized. Clark reached out and started stroking her hair.

"Why did you have to do that, Lois?" Clark whispered. He remembered her charging at the monster as soon as he had fallen to the ground. If she hadn't done that, the monster wouldn't have dropped the kryptonite and he could have been killed. It seemed the only thing it was interested in was Clark. He also remembered Chloe running inside the Talon with the meteor rock. She must know now the effect that it has on him, but he couldn't worry about that now. All he could focus on was Lois and that she was safe. But he didn't know for how long. If that thing attacked again...

"It was all my fault." Clark said aloud.

"God, you really do love pity parties, don't you?" Lois spoke softly.

Clark smiled broadly at seeing her awake.

"Where's that thing?"

"It got away."

"Great." Then, looking at her arm "How bad is it?"

Clark told her what the doctors had told him.

"I won't have to stay here long, will I?" asked Lois worriedly.

Clark smiled and said that he didn't know, but that she really should get some rest. It was then that he realized his hand was still in her hair. She didn't seem to have noticed, and he didn't want to break their contact, so he remained still.

She had noticed it, though, and it was making her feel safer, so she didn't say anything.

"Lois" Clark started, "I need to go somewhere."

Sensing something weird in his tone of voice, she asked "Will you be gone long?"

Clark had decided to go to the Fortress again, to see if there was anything there that could help him deal with this monster. He didn't want to leave after having just returned, but he had to do something to prevent what had happened tonight from happening again.

Not stopping to think about what he was doing, he gently caressed the side of Lois' face. She closed her eyes.

"I don't know. But I'll be home as soon as I find some answers."

"You're going to the same place you were before, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

They both stood quiet for a while, just enjoying the proximity.

"Can you tell my mom I had to leave? She wouldn't let me go if I told her."

"So you're just going to let her be mad at me for not trying to stop you. Nice of you, Kent." She said smiling.

Clark smiled too and started to get up to leave and Lois caught his hand.

"Can you just... stay here with me until I fall asleep? I just have this thing with hospitals." she said averting his eyed and blushing a little. "I mean, people don't even try to make this a comforting place. Look at the color of these walls and don't even get me started on..."

"Lois."

"What?"

"I'll stay here with you." he said, taking her hand and sitting by her side.

To be continued